Page 50 of Let Me Love You
Ali clears her throat and announces, “I’m glad all of you could make it. Now, if you’ll follow me, we’ll get started.” She takes a step toward a closed door but pauses, almost apologetic as she glances at me. Turning to Colt, she addresses him. “Mr. Thorne, do you mind if your fiancée waits out here? Unless Ms. Elshner is all right with her accompanying us?”
Eleanor’s smile is guarded as she looks at me for the first time and adjusts the car seat on her forearm. “Um…sure? I guess I don’t mind.”
“All right, then. Follow me, everyone.” Ali heads through a thick black door to a private room in the back of the building, and Eleanor follows behind, giving us a peek at Jaxon as she walks in front of us. A bright blue binkie wiggles back and forth while he takes in his surroundings, catching Colt’s stare. Curious, Jaxon stares right back at him with wide eyes.
Colt’s steps falter when their gazes connect.
And it kills me.
I want to know what he’s thinking. What he’s feeling. If he knows how much Jaxon looks like him or if he can’t see the same similarities I do. Hell, I don’t even need to know the paternity test results anymore. Jaxon is clearly one hundred percentThorne.
The baby disappears into the room a second later as Eleanor carries him inside, but Colt stays in place, his breathing shallow. My grip tightens for a brief second on Colt’s hand as I urge him forward, and we follow everyone into the room.
It’s similar to a doctor’s office with a gray swivel stool and a small computer on the counter lining the back wall, along with a massive chair that looks like it turns into a bed in the center of the room. Black picture frames hang on the wall, showcasing smiling families I can’t help but envy. I tear my attention from a father and son photograph to take in the rest of the room.
This laboratory is larger than most. Past the oversized chair in the center of the room, there’s a small, rectangular table along with four chairs placed around it. Colt pulls out a chair for me, and I sit down, watching as Eleanor sets the car seat on the table. She sits next to Ali on the opposite side.
Ali pulls an iPad from her leather bag and begins explaining the details and what to expect moving forward, but I don't hear a word. I’m too busy staring at the baby boy’s eyes and round cheeks. My heart feels like it slipped into an automobile crusher.
I care about him already.
He isn’t even mine.
But he’s Colt’s. He’s a piece of Colt.
And it breaks my heart that he’s never met his father until today.
He deserves so much more.
They both do.
I squeeze Colt’s knee beneath the table’s surface.
Everything’s gonna be okay, Colt.
No matter what.
17
COLT
“The lab technician will be in any minute,” Ali announces. She gives us a step-by-step breakdown of how everything will play out, but I can’t pay attention. I’m too distracted by the baby in the car seat to hear any of it. Eleanor set it on the table, giving me a front-row seat to the little boy she’s convinced belongs to me.
He looks like my baby pictures. The ones my mom has tucked away in a photo album. But maybe I’m imagining it. Maybe we aren’t so similar. My teeth grind together as I take in his little hands. The pudge of his fingers. The tiny knuckles and short fingernails.
When Eleanor catches me staring, she shifts the car seat until it fully faces me. “His name’s Jaxon,” she tells me.
“Jaxon.” I swallow, my mouth suddenly dry.
He’s bigger than I would’ve thought. Still small but less like a slug who sleeps all the time and more like an actual little human with his own thoughts and feelings and shit. His bright blue binkie wiggles back and forth in his mouth. His eyes meet mine, and he smiles.
“I’m Eleanor, by the way.” Eleanor offers her hand to Ash. “I don’t think we were formally introduced.”
“I apologize,” Ali interjects, looking up from her iPad. “Eleanor, this is Ashlyn. Ashlyn, this is Eleanor.”
Ash takes Eleanor’s hand from across the table and shakes it.
“Nice to meet you,” Eleanor says. “And I’m sorry about the circumstances.”